Chishti Order: Encyclopedia - Chishti Order

Chishti Order

The Chishti Order was founded by Khwaja Abu Ishaq Shami ("the Syrian") (d. 941 C.E.) who brought sufism to the town of Chisht, some 95 miles east of Herat in present-day Afghanistan. Before returning to the Levant, Shami initiated, trained, and deputized the son of the local Amir, Khwaja Abu Ahmad Abdal (d. 966). Under the leadership of Khwaja Abu Ahmad’s descendants, the Chishtiyya as they are also known flourished as a regional mystical order. Sema or Kawali is devotional music to enhance the remembrance of Allah and is not part of Worship or prayer.

The most famous of the Chishti saints is Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti (also spelled Muinuddin Chisti) who settled in Ajmer, India. Other famous saints of the Chishtia Order are Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi, Fariduddin Ganjshakar of Pak Pattan, and Qutubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki. Hazrat Inayat Khan was the first to bring the Chishtia Order to North America. The Saint Kabir is also thought to have been part of the Chishti order.

The Chishti Order is famous for its emphasis on love, tolerance, openness, and ecstasy. The Order traces its origins through various saints all the way to the Prophet's Companion 'Ali and to the Prophet Muhammad.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Chishti Order", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki